Thursday, October 5, 2017

5-6 years ago while at Zoot I got a call. The guy on the other end of the line said “So and So said you are the guy to talk to”. So and So were well respected names so I said “come on in”. This guy had this sample of a motor and a long story. Not long after that he was back with a workin sample I could put on my foot. I was sold. We tried for almost 2 years to put his motor into a Zoot shoe. We needed to modify the shoe and he and his team needed to get the motor smaller. The parent company of Zoot was fully behind the project but in the end things fell apart.

In August of this year I received an email from my friend (the guy who first called me) asking my size and address. My new Footbeat shoes arrived. The group had tried to work with other brands to no success. They decided to do it all on their own. What is it?

First and foremost it’s a medical device. An orthopedic surgeon wanted to create an easier and more effective way for his patience to recover from surgery. With the FootBeat shoes on, you turn the motors on by remote. A motor is in each shoe. The motors simultaineously lift a platform up at pre set intervals. That platform pushes on your arch. It’s a soft push. The push is enough force to generate blood flow. When a patient is in recovery they are usually sitting or laying down. Blood pools in their feet. The reason for this is a small valve just above your foot can’t open without sufficient blood pressure. The same thing happens to you when you fly. So this little motor lifts the platform which creates enough pressure to create blood flow. Patients recover faster.

It turns out, the same thing applies to athletes. Athletes work hard, then go to their office sit down and circulation to the legs slows down. Recovery is hampered. They then go out the next day and do it again. For a runner this is where injuries happen. Have you ever noticed with your injury that it didn’t happen suddenly. You felt it combining. That’s because every time you run you strain that connective tissue that gets injured. Not some times but every time you run. The body is created to repair thost little micro tears you create. But when you do it day after day the body can’t keep up and the micro tears turn into injury. That’s why all injuries are over-use injuries. The Footbeat shoes with their loud motors, push restorative blood. That restorative blood helps to repair those micro tears every day. You can do the math.

I’ve had my FootBeat for 8-9 weeks now. I’ve learned to use then for more than just recovery.

1. I use then for 10-20 minutes before I run. My legs feel absolutely fresh.

2. I use them for 10-20 minutes after I run. For obvious reasons.

3. I use them at night for 30-40 minutes. I dont’ wake up sore or tight.

4. I wear them on the plane. I got off a recent flight to Berlin with legs that felt like running was possible.

These things are not perfect. As mentioned they are loud. There sometimes is a cross in connection if your phone is too close to the motors. They then won’t be working at the same time. The shoes could be better but their not bad.

If you are coming to Kona or Arizona try them out. There is a simple test. One leg on, one leg off for 20 minutes or more. The one leg on will feel fresh and alive. The most common description is “Lighter”. The other leg will feel normal whatever that is.

I’m so happy to see this item come to the market. I’ve been in the product business for most of my life. While spending 12 years at RRS my job in part was to find the winners. The products that would make a difference in the business. I learned to concentrate on the runner and was usually right in my decisions. I rarely if ever called anything breakthrough. Recovery boots are these big sleeves you pull over your legs and the plug into a wall. They squeeze your legs reducing blood flow. When they release the blood flow rushes back in. The squeeze can be uncomfortable. The boots don’t squeeze your foot which by the way is the furthest from your heart. What hurts the most on most runners? You can get all of this for $1200. With Footbeat the blood flow is pushed from the foot. This makes the circulation complete. It’s the blood flow in the boots and in the Footbeat shoes that creates the recovery not the squeeze. That is scientifically proveen. With Footbeat, no squeeze and they are $450. That’s kind of breakthrough. Do the same thing, easier and less expensive.

I have to be honest here. Footbeat asked me for help in sport. I’ll be in Kona helping them lauch to the triathlon world.